WCML problems 11/01/15

[LNW-GW Joint]

And only if its a 4 line block, they dont if its a 2 track timetable.

you have a job giving up a possession early with, say, track or signalling missing or something out of gauge fouling the line

Well it was (or became) a 4-line block.
It's no big deal, I would just have hoped for an innovative solution.
I quite see the Northampton issue, but not knowing what was going on there it's hard to judge.
It's a lot of delay repay to fork out, and another lot of disgruntled Sunday passengers (sorry customers ).
I can't remember if it affects the TOC PPM on a Sunday.

 

[DarloRich]

Well it was (or became) a 4-line block.
It's no big deal, I would just have hoped for an innovative solution.
I quite see the Northampton issue, but not knowing what was going on there it's hard to judge.
It's a lot of delay repay to fork out, and another lot of disgruntled Sunday passengers (sorry customers ).
I can't remember if it affects the TOC PPM on a Sunday.

but if the line is closed you can have all the innovative solutions you want, you still cant run trains. Sadly the days are long gone of diverting around the problem.

 

[The Planner]

Well it was (or became) a 4-line block.
It's no big deal, I would just have hoped for an innovative solution.

Yes but an unplanned one. You assume Virgin could mobilise a solution in the time available.

 

[driver_m]

I know I'm only an ignorant armchair controller, but if it was a Sunday, and VT habitually run Voyager services from Birmingham/Coventry via the Chiltern line on Sundays when the WCML is closed, how come nothing went that way?
North Wales services for instance?
And what was so special about the Northampton loop possession that it could not be given up early?
These would be the questions the MPs would ask if they were not preoccupied with the King's Cross event.
Weekend passengers get a very raw deal sometimes.

It takes a lot of planning to go via the Chilterns. There are only so many 221s and you can't just run that way without affecting the north Wales services and eus-brum-scotlands. The voyagers have to be in the correct depots to run the regular service on the Monday and the drivers and tm's from Euston that sign it also need to be put on those workings too.

 

[BurtonM]

Here's a pic of Marylebone at 4pm Sunday. I took this from the entrance and departure board/ ticket machines, somewhere in that huge mass of people is a gateline. They're all going for the train in P2.

 

[causton]

Reports from staff I spoke to on Twitter were saying Marylebone was busy, but it was organised, not chaos, with good queueing systems in place. Not too sure if this reflects the whole day though!

 

[oversteer]

More safety checks at Watford this morning! (13th)
Virgin have cancelled loads of services but LM/SN seem unaffected, so I guess some issue with the fast line

 

[mr_moo]

The issue remains the tunnel - safety checks is a daft summary and tells you nothing. The recent structural examination found a safety risk with a section of brickwork being loose in the tunnel, resulting in the TSR being imposed. Works are underway to fix it but it's anyone's guess as to how long that will take as no more specific details on how extensive the loose brickwork is and what the solution will be have been made public.
It's only in the fast lines tuinnels though.

 

[carriageline]

I believe it was meant to be fixed last night, but water pouring through the brickwork made it impossible, so the TSR was kept in place. I believe it's looking to be sorted over the next few nights

 

[parkender102]

Well I eventually arrived into Euston around 1 Hour 15 minutes late after getting on a Virgin Service to London (it was an unscheduled stop for one of the Scotland to Euston services). They announced it very last minute with a rush of people to the platform and I found myself in First Class but the Train Manager wasn't too bothered as long as everyone had a seat.

Can't remember exactly what time we arrived for the Delay Repay but I'm sure it was originally scheduled to stop at Warrington Bank Quay but the service was delayed due to flooding near Carstairs. It left Crewe around 19:30 ish.

 

[causton]

Heard it's not good again tonight either! Was particularly affected by it yesterday when I got to Euston and nothing was running to Leighton Buzzard, where I needed to be, so jumped on a Virgin to Milton Keynes to come back south and just missed a LM train back south!

Today didn't seem too bad when I was at work, but in the afternoon it seemed to get worse and now it seems to be even worse from what I am hearing

 

[oversteer]

Looks like the fasts are shut again between Euston and Ledburn Junction; hopefully this gives them enough time to fix whatever it is!

 

[Tetchytyke]

They shut the fasts so they could fix the tunnel, but the usual delay-mitigation procedure seems to have been very ineptly applied.

This is pretty much par for the course with London Midland these days, who would struggle to organise a party in a brewery.

 

[carriageline]

The fasts were shut anuway I believe, with it being extended for the tunnel

 

[Tetchytyke]

It's normally a four-track timetable out of Euston until about 2200 weekdays, as far as I can tell, so obviously some trains needed to be scrapped. The organisation of it, as always at Euston, just left rather a lot to be desired.

 

[The Planner]

Planned as 2 track between Camden and Ledburn using the slow lines between 2230 and 0600 every week night.

As an aside, the loose bricks are up to 15100 delay minutes this morning. One of the biggest figures Ive seen in a long while.

 

[oversteer]

That figure will be going up this evening, more speed restrictions and cancelled trains...

 

[carriageline]

There isn't MORE TSRs (assuming your talking about Watford tunnels), the TSR was raised to 50mph after the works after night. Unless something has changed in the mean time

 

[Sanatogen]

The blocks have been going on at 20.00 the last couple of nights and will again tonight I believe.

 

[parkender102]

More delays again today at Watford due to Tunnel Inspections. Does anybody have any idea what is going on and who is responsible?

 

[carriageline]

You sure it's not the TSR that is still responsible? No one is responsible per say, brickwork is falling out of the tunnel and they are probably struggling to affect a repair in time allowed

 

[Essexman]

I'm on London Midland just stopped near Hemel Hempstead and guard announced approx 15 minute delay as we are in queue to get through Watford where there are safety checks in tunnel.

 

[Sanatogen]

Hemel delays are more likely the ADD report that has resulted in a 20 mph being imposed on the up fast and the majority of traffic now being routed over the up slow.

 

[Essexman]

Hemel delays are more likely the ADD report that has resulted in a 20 mph being imposed on the up fast and the majority of traffic now being routed over the up slow.

Guard said Watford but after Hemel we got moving ok and now speeding south of Watford .

 

[Sanatogen]

Dunno if you were on the fast or slows but the 20mph is on the up fast at Apsley.

 

[tsr]

There were definitely also emergency safety checks in Watford Fast Tunnel around lunchtime. And defective doors on a train at Bushey just before that.

 

[mountainmike]

I was on 1S52 this morning - the 1030 from EUS to GLC. We stopped on the exit from Watford Tunnel Fast lines where the TM informed us that we had hit ballast in the tunnel and the driver needed to examine the train. A train was also bought to a halt on the up fast. We left after about 11 minutes as all was ok.
We next came to a halt just south of Tamworth where we were stuck for over 30 minutes. The TM informed us there was a problem with the rear pantograph and the train would be examined and permission sought to raise the leading pantograph. We'd also hit more ballast it seemed. The driver and TM could be seen walking in the four foot on the adjacent track so I assume a block was put on all lines. At any rate nothing passed us while we were stopped and once we got going there was a queue of Pendos on the up fast.
I got off at Preston about 48 down. The TM was excellent , keeping us informed and giving updated details of connections etc.

Not been a good run for the WCML

 

[plastictaffy]

There was a 20mph ESR through the fast line tunnels, and then all was okay. Then it was raised to 50, and then 80, and bits started falling off again. It's still 80, but I suspect there might be a 20mph ESR again tomorrow........
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Essexman - that may well have been me. I was stopped on the Up Fast in Kings Langley platform for about 20 mins.........
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I was on 1S52 this morning - the 1030 from EUS to GLC. We stopped on the exit from Watford Tunnel Fast lines where the TM informed us that we had hit ballast in the tunnel and the driver needed to examine the train. A train was also bought to a halt on the up fast. We left after about 11 minutes as all was ok.

The train on the up fast was 1A17....... That train was, as you said, brought to a halt to act as protection to allow the traincrew to carry out an inspection.